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What Does The Word ‘Glory’ Mean In Hebrew And Greek?

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All scriptures are taken from NKJV unless otherwise marked.

As a Christian, I’ve heard the word ‘glory’ hundreds of times. “Glory be to God” or “God is glorious”. Although I knew glory was something magnificent, I can honestly say I had no idea what it’s true definition was. Therefore, by doing incredible research I was able to discover exactly what the word glory actually means. Are you ready to find out too?

What Does The Word ‘Glory’ Mean In Hebrew?

addereth- large, splendid, ample.

hadar- splendor, glory, majesty, honor, beauty, excellence. This word is related to the Hebrew words for ‘glory’ and ‘dignity’. However, hadar doesn’t mean overwhelming beauty. It means a combination of of social position and physical attractiveness.

“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,And as a root out of dry ground.He has no form or comeliness;And when we see Him,There is no beauty that we should desire Him.”

-Isaiah 53:2

Also, hadar is used to describe someone who is crowned with “glory and honor” in the sense of superior desirability for God and rank.

“What is man that You are mindful of him,And the son of man that You visit him?For You have made him a little lower than the angels,And You have crowned him with glory and honor.“

-Psalm 8:4-5

The glory of young men is their strength,And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

-Proverbs 20:29

Did you know?

There’s a theme present throughout the Bible that suggests long life is a mark of divine blessing from the Lord and results often when one is faithful to God. Premature death is the result of divine judgment.

The Lord blessed David with all wonderful things because of David’s great love for Him.

“The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!You have given him his heart’s desire,And have not withheld the request of his lips.

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—Length of days forever and ever.His glory is great in Your salvation;Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.

For You have made him most blessed forever;You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.For the king trusts in the Lord,And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.”

-Psalm 104:1-7

Whenever the term hadar is applied to God, there’s an idea of brilliance, preeminence, and lordship. These are characteristics of His sanctuary and He’s clothed in them (Psalm 104:1).

howd- splendor; majesty; authority . Every time this word is used it describes a sense of amazement and satisfaction in the mind of the beholder.

halal- to praise, celebrate, glory, sing (praise), boast. The meaning ‘to praise’ actually comes from this word halal which simply means to boast. It’s found more that 160 times in the Old Testament. Although this word can be used to prescribe glory to people, it’s mostly used to give glory to God.

“Praise Him, all His angels;Praise Him, all His hosts!Praise Him, sun and moon;Praise Him, all you stars of light!Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,For He commanded and they were created.“

-Psalm 148:2-5

“Praise the Lord!

Praise God In His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!”

-Psalm 150:1

The Hebrew name for the Book of Psalms means “praises”. It’s much more appropriate than the name, ‘Book of Psalms’ (comes from the Greek language). The Book of Psalms has more than half of the occurrences of halal in its different forms. Psalms 113-118 are referred to as the “Hallel Psalms” because they honor and praise God for the deliverance from Egyptian bondage during Moses’ time.

Fun Fact:

Halal is the source of the term “Hallelujah”, a Hebrew expression of “praise” to God. Although this term is usually translated into “Praise the Lord”, it originally meant “Let us praise Yah”.

kabad- to honor. Found in Deuteronomy 5:16, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

tsebiy- glory, glorious, beautiful, beauty, goodly, pleasant.

tiph’arah- glory, beauty, pride. This word shows “beauty” in the sense of the characteristic which enhances one’s appearance. Also, tiph’arah can be used to describe someone’s rank. When using this word in reference to God, it’s to emphasize His rank and beauty.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,The power and the glory,The victory and the majesty;For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;Yours is the kingdom, O Lord,And You are exalted as head over all.“

-1 Chronicles 29:11

Conclusion

The word glory in Hebrew can mean various things. It can mean an amazing social status, honor for those who love God, or praise to God for how awesome He is. Nonetheless, it’s certainly a high ranking and only those who are deserving of it can receive it. Hence the sayings, “God deserves all the glory” and “The glory belongs to God.”

What Does The Word ‘Glory’ Mean In Greek?

doxa- glory. The honor, praise, and glory that comes from a good opinion. It’s an appearance commanding respect, excellence, and magnificence. This term is used to describe God’s nature and actions in self-manifestation. It’s who He is and is shown through what He does, especially in how He chooses to reveal Himself to us.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

-John 1:14

doxazo- (verb) to magnify, extol, praise. For example, it means ascribing honor to God and acknowledging Him as to His being, attributes, and actions.

“Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works andglorifyyour Father in heaven.“

-Matthew 5:16

“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.“

Romans 15:6

“And they glorified God in me.”

-Galatians 1:24

“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”

-1 Peter 4:16

kauchaomai- to boast or glory.

kauchesis- the act of boasting.

kleos- reputation, good report, fame, renown.

Conclusion

To give God the glory means to honor and respect Him. He is referred to as the King of kings and Lord of lords. If anyone deserves all the praise, it’s Him.

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About Me

I'm Ariel Shanelle and I believe anything is possible if you're willing to work for it! That's why I'm here: to help you achieve your goals faster. I'm passionate about helping others in personal development, finances, health, and fitness.